Vatican City
The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the
world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael
Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

Austria
Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital
is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and
incredible history & food. Go Now!

Ukraine
Ukrainian culture is based on village life, particularly that found in the Carpathian
Mountains (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

Culture & Identity of Lithuania

Introduction

Hill of Crosses

The Lithuanians are relatively quiet and modest people whose lives revolve around
family, and for some also their Catholic faith. This family focus means many people
prefer to stay in to have fun with family and the vibrant nightlife in many places
is a bit muted in Lithuania.

The people are also heavily urbanized, with nearly 70% of the people living in cities.
There are people in the rural parts of the country, many of whom are farmers, as
nearly 10% of the work force works in agriculture. For these farmers their daily
way of life is dependent on the sun and weather; for nearly everyone else, their
daily schedules are focused on their jobs and families. Nearly three quarters of
the people work in the services industries and many of them have fairly regular
working hours. The normal work day in Lithuania is 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, although
shops tend to stay open a bit later.

Much like the family focus, education is important to the Lithuanians and most children
attend school from about 7:00 or 8:00 am to about noon or early afternoon. The school
year runs from September to early June.

Evenings are almost always spent with family, often over dinner, while weekends
(Saturday-Sunday) and vacations, especially summer vacations, tend to be more diverse.
During these times every individual and every family has their own idea of how to
spend the money they worked hard for. For many young single people going out to
a bar, restaurant, or dancing with friends is a common activity, but even amongst
these young people, spending time with family is common. During the summer months
it seems everyone wants to get outside, even if just to go shopping.

Identity

Lithuanians tend to identify as Lithuanians, an identity
that is first and foremost based on their ethnicity. However, the people and country
have a long history and over time the people have developed a distinct history,
language, and culture. This culture is more pronounced to differentiate the people
from some of their past affiliations with Russia and Poland. The ethnic minorities
in the country also tend to first identify with their ethnicity, but the number
of minorities in the country is small and generally consists of Poles, Russians,
and Belarusians.